Friday 17 January 2014

Rotherham by the sea.


The film starts on the canal quayside – Sheffield Basin, Victoria Quays – with barrels stacked on the side. Several boats and barges are shown, including one with ‘Hull’ on the side, moored under the Straddle Warehouse. There is another with ‘Good luck’ on the side, and a teenage boy sits on top of the canvas coverings. The captain of the barge unties the rope from the canal side and takes the lid off the funnel revealing the smoke coming out. The barge sets off with the boy at the steering wheel. The barge passes under two railway bridges, the second, Northern Rail./ They continue past a signal box and then under the bridge taking the St Bernard Road. The barge passes under other bridges as it makes its way along the Sheffield-TinsleyCanal through Attercliffe. Factories can be seen on either side. - See more at: http://www.yfaonline.com/film/rotherham-seaport-town#.dpuf


Is Rotherham a Seaport Town?


This is an early colour film made in 1959 by Charles Chislett documenting a trip by barge along the Tinsley Canal and then by trip boat from Rotherham. The trip continues on along the River Don as far as the site of the Swinton flood lock. The full version of the film goes through to Thorne.


To watch the film Click Here The film starts on the canal quayside at Sheffield Basin now called the Victoria Quays. Cargo in the form of barrels are stacked on the side. (0:28) Two other boats and barges are shown, including one with ‘Hull’ on the side, moored under the Straddle Warehouse. There is a barge named ‘Good Luck’ (0:33) and a teenage boy sits on top of the canvas coverings. The skipper of the barge unties the rope from the canal side and removes part of the funnel so that the barge can pass under some of the low bridges.


The barge sets off with the boy at the steering wheel. The barge passes under two railway bridges, one is the electrified ' Great Central' line to Manchester, the other is the Midland railway.(1:24) They continue past a signal box and then under the bridge at Bernard Road. (1:58) It's a tight squeeze under the bridge. There are stories told of the need for crowbars if the level was up by a small amount. On the left is a steel works with someone looking through a window. (2:20) Note that there is a coal lift on the side of the building. (2:48) Then passes a building with an illuminated sign 'Coronet' on the top, plus a lamp post with a crown.


They pass under Pinfold bridge (2:32) and old canal buildings, including ‘Wilford and Co.’ The barge passes under the (3:08) Bacon Lane bridge which is another tight squeeze, as it makes its way along the Tinsley Canal through Attercliffe. Several steel factories can be seen on either side.


As they pass under Shirland Lane bridge, two young boys wave from a wall behind some terraced houses. (3:37) Its a sign of the times that such youngsters would not be out on their own today.


(3:49) The canal passes over Worksop road by way of an aqueduct.

(3:59) A passenger train, pulled by a steam locomotive, goes by on the left. Brown Bailey steel works in the background.

(4:15) Then Tinsley top lock (1) is opened. There is a glimpse of the railway sidings of TW Ward which can be seen in the background on the right in Carbrook.

The barge then pass through several more locks. (5:57) lock number 2 (what is now the top pond mooring at Tinsley marina)

(5:37) Lock number 3 (what is now the bottom pond at Tinsley Marina) in the Tinsley Flight.

(6:22) Lock number 5 with a lock keepers house that has now gone.

(6:41) Lock number 7/8 with Edgar Allen steel works in the background.

(6:50) Lock number 9. Sheffield Road Bridge and the Plumpers pub in the background.

Then with the two cooling towers of Blackburn Meadows Power Station. (6:56) Lock number 10 with Tinsley rolling mills to the left. Waiting for 'Clarence T' to exit the lock.

(7:14) A steam locomotive passes over the Halfpenny railway bridge, where the canal meets the River Don.

(7:18) There is a line of barges moored up being filled with coal. All that is left now are the huge mooring rings in the old wharf.

At this point the film edit goes out of sequence. The next two items should be swapped around.

(7:23) There is a large factory on the right which is the Steel Peach and Tozer steel works at Templeborough, which is now the site of Magna)

(7:26) Jordans Weir. Jordans lock is not shown in the film.

The skipper blows a horn (7:39) approaching Holmes lock.

(7:40) Approaching Ickles Lock. The water is still as fierce in the lock even today.

(7:50) The Steel Peach and Tozer steel works chimneys 'known locally as the 'seven sisters' are in the background.

(7:53) The confluence of the canal and the River Don. There are more factories as well as the steeple of All Saints’ Parish Church, Rotherham in the background, now Rotherham Minster.

(7:57) on the left is Guest and Chrimes brass founders.

(7:59) looking towards the river weir in Rotherham. I remember seeing a boat stuck on the weir around 1956/57 ish.

(8:03) Barge leaving Rotherham town lock. The old changeover bridge has been replaced with a footbridge. The lock keepers house has been demolished.

(8:13 ) A barge is being loaded with coal. A truck can be seen tipping coal from the Fenton drift mine located about three miles to the north. The coal is tipped down a chute and into a canal barge.

(8:21) The 'water gypsy' trip boat arrives below Rotherham town lock.

(9:38) A large group of people, mainly women, are chatting together on the canal side. The is at the site of the Rotherham Grand Central railway station. The group boards a trip boat Water Gypsy outside the 'North Notts Farmers' building. The rest of the film is taken from this boat. It moves off with the passengers waving to a passing steam train.

(9:58) A boat can be seen through the bridge hole moored at the Rotherham Wharf.

(10:15) The demolished Conisborough Lock, The film at this point must be out of sequence. This one has a white house next to it, and the film shows the lock being opened and closed.

(10:33) Eastwood lock.

(12:22) Wash Lane Bridge with the cracks even then. Now replaced by a new bridge.

(12:28) Aldwark Lock.

(13:01) The river is full of foam where it has passed over Wash lane weir. It was a common sight to see foam on the water at this point.

(13:50) Barge 'Goodwill' sister to barge 'Good Luck' taking on cargo at the coal stage.

(14:21) The now disused lock at Kilnhurst, is filled with foam. Now replaced with a flood lock.

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